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“How he reacts to this, the association going forward with its members not to don the uniform of the day… it’ll be a test of not just his authority, but his leadership and where he stands,” Burrows told CityNews.

Earlier this month, TPS President Mike McCormack said the Police Board reneged on a promise to hire 80 new officers, adding that it put front-line cops, and the public, at risk due to insufficient staffing levels.

Both Saunders and Mayor John Tory say work is already well underway to hire those officers. Councillor Shelley Carroll, who sits on the Police Board, is blasting union leadership for taking a public stance.

“80 new officers are coming on stream,” said Carroll. “Mr. McCormack knows exactly how long that takes and he knew that when he sat down and agreed to that with the chief and the chair. It feels a lot to me like sucking and blowing at the same time.”

York West Councillor Giorgio Mammoiliti believes more emphasis needs to be placed on officer morale.

“Officers feel like they can’t even make a decision without getting themselves into trouble,” said Mammoiliti. “I think the board needs to reconsider everything they do and talk to the association about how they could feel better about doing their job.”